Tours by Locals | Hong Kong Hidden Gems, a total myth

Tours by Locals | Hong Kong Hidden Gems, a total myth and why you should take this “term” with a pinch of salt.

Hong Kong has to be one of the most tourist friendly cities on the planet and that is a fact, there is so much to see and do and now we have a problem, the rise of the buzzword (phrase) Hidden Gems.

As a long time Private Tour Guide and with well over 2,000+ tours under my belt since 2011 I cringe whenever I hear this phrase because it causes no end of issues for Private Tour Guides because now everyone has a list of totally weird and bizarre things they want to do when they visit Hong Kong.

These phrases, hidden gems and secret spots are not new of course but have gained in popularity which mirrors the rise in apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and the like and not forgetting You Tube and to be honest most people have zero interest in the hidden gem, they just want the image to post on these apps.

A common problem with obsessing over hidden gems is that you can easily spend 2 hours getting there, 2 hours back and 5 minutes taking a picture, Hong Kong is huge, about 426 sq. miles in area or over 1,100 sq. km and you would be amazed at how many hidden gems are out in the sticks!!

Let’s face most visitors to Hong Kong are here for only a day or two and need to maximise their time which is why you need a first rate Private Tour Guide who knows their way around Hong Kong and by the way hidden gems are a myth, since the rise of Google there is NO such thing as a secret spot, you can find anything on Google these days because that hidden gem has been visited and blogged about a thousand times already.

Simply put, there are a lot of Tour Companies in Hong Kong who also obsess about hidden gems and secret spots and who think our most amazing and iconic places to visit are too touristy and too crowded and you can do them on your own or worse skip them altogether which makes me somewhat incredulous.

Have a look at my image below, this is the most amazing city view in the world, it is the view from my spot at the Peak, by Peak I mean Victoria Peak.

Amazingly unless you hire a top quality Private Tour Guide the chances are you will NOT see this view, you will end up on top of the Peak Tower having taken up the Peak Tram along with thousands of other people.. and you will get a nice view, that’s right, a nice view, to get the world class view you need to walk about 20 minutes through a jungle (well along a leafy road!) and even then, the people who do make it that far stop at the wrong place!

… and no my spot is not a secret spot by any means, I have been to it almost 7,000 times since 1972 and it never ceases to amaze me, no matter what the weather is like.

In addition Victoria Peak to me is Hong Kong, it’s historical importance since 1841 simply cannot be overstated and you need to know the history both historical and current and you need an expert to explain what you are seeing, an hour spent at the Peak with a real and passionate expert is worth much more than 50 hidden gems or secret spots.

oh… and the view of Hong Kong Island from either the Avenue of Stars, TST Promenade or the Ocean Terminal Deck is simply staggering as well, again, most people avoid these places because they are touristy and crowded and again a huge mistake.

…. at the end of the day forget about hidden gems and secret spots and hire a top notch Private Tour Guide in Hong Kong who will use their extensive knowledge to give an amazing and rewarding tour of Hong Kong.

… and do not get me started on “seeing Hong Kong like a local” I will cover that in another blog post and yes, like everyone else I have to use this phrase in my marketing!!

Jamie.

The greatest city view in the World, the view from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, simply amazing

Oh my golly gosh, the simply amazing Pagani Zonda Absolute - this is a custom made car and is rumoured to be the only one of it's kind in the world and it is in Hong Kong!... oh... and yes, this is my picture, talk about being in the right place at the right time.

Discover Hong Kong in a day Like a Local | Totally Customisable Private Tours

This is my Hong Kong | Go off the beaten track with Jamie and get the inside track on what Hong Kong is really like

Hello, I'm Jamie. 47 years living in Hong Kong, 25 years under British Rule, 22 years under Chinese Rule so I have a rather unique perspective on Hong Kong | Your expert, LOCAL, professional, Private Tour Guide since 2011

If you really want to know Hong Kong and I mean really know Hong Kong then book a premium private tour with Jamie today | when it comes to Hong Kong, NO topic is off the table no matter how difficult or sensitive the subject matter.

I do take last minute bookings for day | night Private Tours of Hong Kong

Click this image to visit my Tours by Locals Profile + BOOK a tour

I am English so we should have no communication issues.

I do private walking tours in Hong Kong, I am on the streets every day and I have a somewhat interesting perspective of this wonderful city I have called my home for 47 years. My private walking tours of Hong Kong are perfect for visitors who want a detailed overview of Hong Kong prior to exploring on their own and for people who are only here for a day or two who want to make the most of their limited time here.

Many clients book me for their first full day in Hong Kong for their personal walking tour of Hong Kong | they get to see the best that Hong Kong has to offer + a crash course on our wonderful public transport system and then they go exploring for the rest of their stay armed with step by step instructions and recommendations from me.... many of my guests have raved about my self guided tours of Hong Kong.

I am available at very short notice, I get many last minute bookings and may well be available even if you arrive in Hong Kong without making plans! so please check my calendar, simply send me a message for a prompt reply.

I also offer a candid and very personal view of what it is like to live in Hong Kong for over 47 years.

...oh, and if you book a tour then you are booking a tour with me, I do not employ other guides, so explore this great city with one of the best private tour guides in Hong Kong.

oh | I am not an award winning journalist, food critic or professional (whatever that means!) and I absolutely do not have a Board of Advisors.

All images taken with a Sony RX 1r mark 2 camera - it produces amazing images!